as a guardian of the principles of Kemal Ataturk and of the structure of the
Turkish state itself, found its patience taxed. While contemplating a repetition of its old “modernizing” interventions, the military not only orchestrated
a post-modern electronic coup and established groups or plans like “Ergenekon” and “Balyoz”; but its actions also led to radical changes in the political
system and the country’s international standing. It appears however that, for
the present, the military has chosen not to depart from constitutional or parliamentary norms. Nonetheless, Kemalist political parties, such as they are,
and the Western-oriented elite are seriously alarmed about the possibility of
a structural transformation of the state, or some form of military comeback.
This would cause great problems to the country’s foreign relations, leading
at least to a temporary isolation of relations with Europe and to uncertain
internal developments,XIX whereas, up to the present, Turkey has managed
to convince the international community that it is in a position to play effectively multiple roles as a hegemonic element of stability in the unstable, fluid
and geopolitically critical international zone of the Middle East, the Balkans,
Central Asia and the Caucasus, and the Islamic World at large.XX
It appears that Turkish military prefers to seek political solutions to the
quandaries resulting from Kemalism and the Islamic turn taken by many
in authority in Turkey, through manipulation and close supervision of the
political system.XXI Such was the case in the past, with the “solution” sought
by the famous National Security Council Memorandum issued on the February 28, 1997, which the Erbakan government was forced to accept in principle before being outlawed in January 1998.XXII This, however has not been the
case since 2002, when gradually but steadily, and in substantial percentages,
the Islamic AK Party, under the leadership of Tayip Erdoğan, has managed
to gain support in subsequent Parliamentary and Municipal elections and
has been able to confront the Military and the rest of the Kemalist bureaucracy successfully, by way of infiltrating the structures of the state, and by
leaking to the public all the misgivings of the military. Thus, the Turkish
Republic has come to a point where a seemingly unchallenged government,
shaped by certain politicians who were once considered outcasts, feels strong
enough to detain and imprison a large number of former and current military
officials on charges of trying to subvert a legally elected government, and of